Best Lawyers in America for Land Use and Zoning Law
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Dan Bailey has more than 25 years of experience in environmental, land use, real estate, and municipal law. He prides himself on offering pragmatic solutions to complicated legal matters. While Dan’s “sweet spot” is the redevelopment of commercial property, he has a strong background in all aspects of environmental and regulatory law. Dan also handles all types of real estate transactions. Dan has helped facilitate development of a wide range of commercial real estate projec...
Manning Unger, co-managing member of the firm’s Charleston office, practices in the areas of business, mergers and acquisitions, securities, financial services, economic incentives, and commercial real estate law. Equipped with an MBA and a law degree, Manning has a passion for helping his clients with business deals and diving into the details to better advise them. His work consists of providing advice structuring, negotiating, documenting, and closing deals, as well as acting as a co...
Jim Porter is board certified by the Florida Bar as an expert in City, County, and Local Government Law. He concentrates his practice on land use and zoning, as well as government relations, and also has experience with the wireless communications industry, including cellular tower zoning issues. Jim is also the current School Board Attorney for the Hillsborough County School Board, the 8th largest school district in the nation. Jim formerly served as the Chief Assistant County Attorney for t...
Wendell's practice focuses on representing financial institutions in government enforcement actions, regulatory compliance matters, internal audits, and real property controversies. Wendell’s litigation experience is broad, having represented clients in a wide variety of matters but with a particular focus in financial services, consumer finance, real property and construction litigation. In addition to litigation, his practice includes performing internal risk assessments and regulator...
Charles F. Mills III is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Administrative / Regulatory Law, Environmental Law, Government Contracts, Government Relations Practice, Land Use and Zoning Law and Litigation - Environmental. Charles F., who practices law in Jacksonville, Florida, has been recognized since 2022. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Charles F. is held by other top lawyers in the same geog...
Howard Goldman began his career as a land use attorney in Alaska in 1976, where he drafted regulations for the Alaska Coastal Management Program, handled environmental review under NEPA and represented towns and municipalities in adopting zoning and land use controls.In 1980, Mr. Goldman was appointed Deputy Counsel to the New York City Planning Commission. As Deputy Counsel, Mr. Goldman was involved in the review of applications and other matters before the City Planning Commission, the deve...
Laurence M. Papel is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Commercial Finance Law, Corporate Law, Land Use and Zoning Law, Mergers and Acquisitions Law and Real Estate Law. Laurence M., who practices law in Nashville, Tennessee, has been recognized since 2007. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Laurence M. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.
Michael A. Bruno is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Land Use and Zoning Law and Real Estate Law. Michael A., who practices law in Red Bank, New Jersey, has been recognized since 2013. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Michael A. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.
Mark Murakami practices in the firm's Dispute Resolution, Real Estate, Construction, and Business & Commercial Law practice groups. His focus is on complex commercial disputes, land use negotiation and litigation, environmental, and general civil litigation. He has appeared in all federal and states courts in Hawaii, most of the administration boards and commissions, and is licensed in the U.S. Supreme Court, Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals and Court of Federal Claims. He is rated by Marti...
Anthony (Tony) P. Pires, Jr. is a partner at Woodward, Pires & Lombardo, P.A., based in the firm’s Naples, Florida office. His practice focuses on Government Relations Practice, Municipal Law, Land Use and Zoning Law, and related areas of local government and administrative law. He represents public and private clients throughout Collier County, Lee County, and surrounding Southwest Florida communities. Tony has been Board Certified by The Florida Bar in City, County & Local Gov...
Ross A. Leisman graduated with honors from Calvin College in 1984, and with honors from the University of Michigan Law School in 1988. Ross has served as chairman of the firm's Local Government Practice Group, has served on the firm's Management Committee and is a member of the Litigation Group. Ross specializes in civil litigation, bank disputes, land use and municipal law. He has served on several community boards, including the Kent County Building Authority, the Ada Township Planning Comm...
Paul L. Gunn was admitted to the Mississippi Bar in 1983. His experience spans from real estate and commercial finance to corporate and securities, including representation of developers, lenders and title companies on commercial, multifamily and tax credit projects. Paul's legal work has earned him many honors, including The Best Lawyers in America , Chambers USA -America's Leading Lawyers for Business (Real Estate) and Mid-South Super Lawyers . Paul was also elected to fellowship in the Ame...
Richard Rattner has more than thirty years of experience in real estate law, with specialties in real estate acquisition, sale and loan transactions, land use development, zoning, and corporate law. Mr. Rattner is a member of the Oakland County Bar Association, the State Bar of Michigan, the American Bar Association and the Fellows of the American Bar Foundation. He served on the Governing Council of the Real Property Law Section (RPLS) of the State Bar of Michigan and remains an active parti...
Our Methodology
Recognition by Best Lawyers is based entirely on peer review. Our methodology is designed to capture, as accurately as possible, the consensus opinion of leading lawyers about the professional abilities of their colleagues within the same geographical area and legal practice area.
The Process
Best Lawyers employs a sophisticated, conscientious, rational, and transparent survey process designed to elicit meaningful and substantive evaluations of the quality of legal services. Our belief has always been that the quality of a peer review survey is directly related to the quality of the voters.